High speed web-fed rotary printing press with drier and chill roll



F. w. BEACHAM 3,442,211 FED ROTARY PRINTING PRESS WITH DRIER AND CHILLROLL May 6, 1969 HIGH SPEED WEB- Filed June 13,- 1966 INVENTOR. FRANC/Sm 85/) CHAN BY @QAwZ QM @8444. A TTOPNEYSI May 6, 1969 F. w. BEACHAMHIGH SPEED WEB-FED ROTARY PRINTING PRESS WITH DRIER AND CHILL ROLL L x Qm INVENTORQ Fm/vc/s w. BEACHAM @LMQWQM MM A TTO/P/VEYS United StatesPatent US. Cl. 101-416 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a highspeed printing press having a means for printing ink on a web travelingat a high speed and ink drying and setting means for rapidly drying andsetting the ink on the web, which include a heat dryer operating to heatthe ink and initiate vaporization of the volatile constituents of theink and a chill roll following the heat dryer and operating to set theink constituents remaining on the web, the web training at a high speedaround a substantial extent of the peripheral surface of the chill rollwhile the vaporized constituents of the ink are enveloping the web, theimprovement comprising a squeegee roll disposed in bearing engagementwith the web and squeezing the web against the chill roll surfacewhereby the accretion of vaporized constituent condensate products onthe surface of the chill roll of a thickness sufiicient to periodicallyproduce streaking of the web thereby is prevented.

This invention relates to high speed web-fed rotary printing presses;and as illustrated and described herein by way of example the inventionmay be used to advantage for example on presses that include dryer andchill roll sections.

Such presses typically embody impression, plate, and/or blanketcylinders, through or about which .the web trains and is thereby broughtinto printing operation. From the printing unit the web travels to adryer unit which as shown herein by way of example may comprise asteam-heated dryer drum; although it is to be understood that other typedryers are sometimes employed. From the dryer the web typically travelsto one or more cooling devices, such as around chill rolls as shown byway of example in the drawing herewith. In any event the purpose of theheating and chilling system is to cause the ink which transfers to theweb to dry or set rapidly, so that the ink will not pick up onsubsequently encountered guide rolls or the like as the web runs throughthe press.

As is well known in the art, with the advent of modern ink chemistry andthe development of certain pigments, solvents, driers, plasticizers,etc., tremendous strides have been made with respect to speeding up thedrying cycles of such printing operations. However, a problem ofcondensate streaking has been plaguing the industry, arising from thefact that in a high speed press, as the heated web approaches the firstchill roll the ink volatiles exude from and through the web, therebycreating a gaseous aura enveloping the web. When the web then arrives atthe first chill roll (in a conventional high speed system as explainedhereinabove) the gas cushion forces developing between the roll and theweb typically operate to literally hold the web out of contact and inspaced relation from the chill roll. By virtue of this phenomenon theink volatiles exuding from or otherwise enveloping the web operate toform condensate products which tend to deposit and build up on thesurface of the chill roll; and periodically these deposits slough ofi.and attach to and streak the surface of the passing web.

It is a primary object of the present invention to pro- 3,442,21 lPatented May 6, 1969 vide an improved system for post-conditioning apreviously printed and heated web as it passes around the first chillroll, whereby to eliminate condensate streaking on the web. Otherwisestated, it is an object of the invention to provide a novelsqueegee rollin the web train hearing against the web at the first chill roll, whichby reason of specific surface-active characteristics operates to avoidcondensate streaking on the ink.

Other, more specific objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a portion of atypical letter press printing machine, including an impression cylinder;dryer drum; and a chill roll unit, and showing by way of example incombination therewith a web transport system including a squeegee rolldevice of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged scale view of the portion designatedFIG. 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional gested by line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale sectional view taken as suggested by line 44of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale fragmentary view of the portion designatedFIG. 5 of FIG. 2.

As shown solely by way of example herein, the invention is illustratedas being embodied in a printing press of the so-called letter press typewhich includes an impression cylinder 10 journalled on frame plates 11and about which a paper web 12 trains and is thereby brought intoprinting relation with a plurality of plate cylinders as indicated at14, 15, 16, 17, 18, respectively (FIG. 1). The web thereupon typicallytravels over guide rolls 19 to a heating drum 20, and thereupon trainsaround a first chill roll as shown at 22.

Conventionally the web 12 thereupon moves around one or more additionalchill rolls as indicated at 24 (FIG. 1) and thence to a second-sideprinter and/or to web-cutting and folding operations, or the like.However, in the case of the present invention a novel squeegeerolldevice as indicated at 25 is provided to run against the web to press itagainst the chill roll 22. As shown in better detail in FIGS. 2-5,inclusive, the squeegee-roll 25 comprises a drum or cylinder havingsupport shaft devices 26-26 extending at opposite ends thereof andiournalled in bearing blocks as indicated at 28. The hearing blocks 2828are mounted in bearing slide-supports 30 which are mounted on themachine frame 11, whereby the squeegee-roll 25 may be positionallyadjustable relative to the web 12 as it leaves the chill roll 22 (FIG.5).

It is essential, in accordance with the present invention, that the roll25 operatively bears against the web 12 uniformly at a predeterminedpressure, as will be explained hereinafter. Accordingly, as best shownin FIG. 2, the bearing blocks 28 are positionally controlled in theirslides 30 by means of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders 34 operatingthrough link members 36 to provide means for quickly retracting the roll25 from operative position, incidental to replacement of the web supplyor the like. Set screws as indicated at 40 extending from the stationaryview taken as sug frame portion of the slide structures 30-30 arereadily adjustable to limit the motions of the roll 25 toward the web tothe optimum pressure-applying condition.

It is a particular feature of the present invention that thesqueegee-roll 25 is coated or covered as indicated at 42 in the drawingherewith, with a layer of ink-resistant material such as a siliconecompound or a synthetic plastic such as polytetrafluorethylene which isknown in the trade as Teflon; or any other like material having theproperty of being nonreceptive to the ink being used and/or itsconstituents. This may be applied to the squeegee-roll 25 by anysuitable process such as by dipping, spraying, or

painting it on, or by shrinking a pre-molded or extruded sleeve of thematerial onto the roll. In any case the inkresistant roll 25 is arrangedas explained hereinabove to hold the web 12 in close-bearing relationagainst the chill roll 22. This operates to squeeze the web 12 againstthe chill roll 22, thereby serving to prevent the buildup of inkcondensate products on the surface of the chill roll of a thicknesssufiicient to affect streaking of the web thereby, which buildup wouldotherwise be permitted due to the spacing of the web from the surface ofthe chill roll occasioned by the gaseous aura which tends to envelop theweb. In this respect, it will be understood that although ink volatilesstill tend to condense on the surface of the chill roll, direct contactof the web with such surface permits the condensates to be constantlywiped away by the web, while they are of a thickness or sizesufficiently small to prevent noticeable discoloration of the web.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated that by means of a mechanicallysimple and inexpensive device in accordance with the present inventionan effective deterrent is provided against streaking of the inkvolatiles on the finished product. Therefore, the invention may beutilized without other changes in an existing system to provide asuperior streak-free product; or, it may be used to provide anacceptable quality product in an increased speed system.

I claim: 1. In a high speed printing press, in combination, means forprinting ink on a web travelling at high speed, ink drying and settingmeans for rapidly drying and setting the ink on s id web wherein saidink drying and setting means includes a heat drier operating to heat theink and initiate vaporization of the volatile constituents of the inkand a chill roll following said heat drier and operating to set the inkconstituents remaining on said web, said web being trained around asubstantial extent of the peripheral surface of said chill roll and saidchill roll being disposed adjacent said heat drier whereby the vaporizedconstituents of the ink are enveloping said web so as to create a gascushion of said vaporized constituents between said chill roll surfaceand said web which tends to force said web away from said chill rollsurface and allow space for vaporized constituent condensate products toaccrete on said chill roll surface to a thickness sufiicient to produceperiodic streaking of said web,

and means for preventing the aforesaid periodic streaking of said webcomprising a pressure applying member disposed in parallel opposition tosaid chill roll, said pressure applying member being mounted formovement toward and away from said chill roll, and means forcontinuously urging said pressure applying member uniformly at apredetermined pressure against said web to squeeze said web against saidchill roll surface while the web is travelling at high speed asaforesaid, whereby accretion of condensate products on said chill rollsurface of a thickness sufficient to produce periodic streaking of saidweb is prevented.

2. The improvement in a high speed printing press according to claim 1,wherein said pressure applying member comprises a freely rotatablesqueegee roll, and said squeegee roll has a web contacting surface whichis non-receptive to constituents of the ink printed on said web.

3. In a high speed printing press according to claim 2, includingadjustable means adapted to limit movement of said squeegee roll in thedirection of said chill roll.

4. In a high speed printing press as defined in claim 1 wherein saidmeans for printing ink on a web comprises an impression cylinder havingthe web trained thereover and plate cylinder means for printing ink onsaid web as it trains over said impression cylinder, said heat driercomprising a heating drum disposed in spaced, parallel relation to saidimpression cylinder, said web issuing from said impression cylinder totrain substantially completely around said heating drum, and said chillroll being disposed parallel to and closely adjacent said heating drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,792,414 2/1931 Cole.

2,157,387 5/1939 MacArthur 101416 2,526,318 10/1950 Battin 3462 XR2,598,346 5/1952 Burke et a1 101416 3,079,699 3/1963 Fry 3413 3,081,2063/ 1963 Remer 29-132 3,146,490 9/ 1964 Cooney 29-132 XR ROBERT E.PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

I. REED FISHER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

